If you’re a Canadian looking for high-quality foods to support your cat’s kidneys, you may be frustrated with what’s available. There aren’t many options for therapeutic foods outside of what’s for sale at your vet’s office, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck.
We’ve gathered the nine best cat foods for kidney disease in Canada to help your decision-making process a bit easier. Keep reading to find our reviews and a thorough buying guide so you know exactly what to look for while food shopping for your cat’s condition.
In this article
A Quick Glance at Our Favorites in 2025
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Best Overall
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Purina Pro Plan Kidney Function |
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Best Value
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Hill’s Prescription Diet Feline Renal Health |
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Premium Choice
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Hill’s Prescription Diet Kidney Care with Chicken |
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Hill’s Science Diet Adult Tender Tuna Dinner |
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Wellness Healthy Indulgence Chicken & Chicken Liver |
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The 6 Best Cat Foods for Kidney Disease in Canada
1. Purina Pro Plan NF Kidney Function – Best Overall
| Main ingredients: | Water, meat by-products, chicken hearts, rice, powdered cellulose |
| Protein content: | 6.00% |
| Fat content: | 3.00% |
| Calories: | 164 cal/can |
The best overall cat food for kidney disease comes from Purina Pro Plan. Their NF Kidney Function wet cat food provides the perfect balance of high-quality protein and restricted phosphorus to support the kidneys. This food was explicitly designed to minimize the signs of kidney failure and may help slow the progression of the disease.
This recipe contains a dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help delay the progression of kidney disease. It also has a controlled amount of sodium and is fortified with B-complex vitamins, which cats with CKD often lack. The B vitamins can also assist with breaking down nutrients so your kitty can absorb them better.
The phosphorus level in this food is 0.39%.
- May slow the progression of CKD
- Not too high in protein
- Low in phosphorus
- Fortified with B vitamins
- Expensive
2. Hill’s Prescription Diet K/D Feline Renal Health – Best Value
| Main ingredients: | Water, chicken, pork liver, carrots, rice |
| Protein content: | 29.80% |
| Fat content: | 24.40% |
| Calories: | 70 cal/can |
If you’re on a budget but want to provide your kitty with the best cat food for kidney disease for the money, Hill’s Prescription Diet has a solution. Their k/d food is designed specifically for cats with kidney issues. This wet food features high amounts of amino acids, the building blocks of muscle protein, and controlled levels of both sodium and phosphorus. It works to protect the function of your cat’s kidneys and heart as well as support its ability to build lean muscle.
The recipe has been gently cooked with chunks of real chicken to increase its aroma and flavor. Sometimes cats with kidney problems will have a decrease in appetite, so this formula’s tastiness should keep them interested at mealtime.
There are some reports of consistency issues from can to can, which can be a turnoff to picky kitties. The phosphorus level in this food is 0.49%.
- Perfect phosphorus content
- High in amino acids
- Tasty flavor and textures
- Protects kidney function
- Made with real chicken
- Small cans
- Inconsistent texture
3. Hill’s Prescription Diet Kidney Care with Chicken – Premium Choice
| Main ingredients: | Brown rice, corn gluten meal, chicken, pork fat, whole grain wheat |
| Protein content: | 25.00% |
| Fat content: | 20.00% |
| Calories: | 541 cal/cup |
Some cats do not take well to canned food diets. If your kitty is one of the picky ones who only likes to eat kibble, you must ensure the dry food you’re offering will at least provide kidney support. Hill’s Prescription Diet’s dry k/d formula is similar to the previous product we reviewed but is in a dry kibble form.
This food is formulated to provide vital kidney and heart support while boosting your kitty’s ability to build lean muscle. It features Enhanced Appetite Trigger technology to stimulate the appetite and increase your pet’s caloric intake. The recipe has a low phosphorus count and is fortified with therapeutic levels of essential nutrients like l-carnitine and omega-3s.
The biggest downfall of this food is that it comes at a high price and is difficult to find from online retailers. The phosphorus level in this food is 0.52%.
- Stimulates appetite
- Great for kibble lovers
- Kidney and heart support
- Low phosphorus
- Contains omega-3
- Difficult to find online
4. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Tender Tuna Dinner
| Main ingredients: | Water, tuna, chicken, pork liver, wheat flour |
| Protein content: | 7.80% |
| Fat content: | 2.50% |
| Calories: | 162 cal/can |
Yet another Hill’s Science Diet product has made our top ten list. We typically like featuring a variety of brands wherever possible, but the truth is that Hill’s provides the most and best non-prescription, low-phosphorus foods for cats.
This particular flavor is an excellent pick for cats with CKD between the ages of 1 and 6. It provides a perfect balance of critical nutrients necessary to promote a healthy body weight and proper digestion. The formula contains taurine to boost your cat’s vision and heart health and is free of artificial flavoring or preservatives.
This food has a chunky texture in gravy, which isn’t always a fan favorite amongst cats. The phosphorus level in this food is 0.52%.
- Great for adult cats
- Promotes a healthy body weight
- Boosts vision health
- Low in phosphorus
- Some cats don’t like the chunky texture
- Meat is not the first ingredient
5. Wellness Healthy Indulgence Chicken & Chicken Liver
| Main ingredients: | Chicken broth, water, chicken, chicken liver, potato starch |
| Protein content: | 7.00% |
| Fat content: | 4.00% |
| Calories: | 62 cal/container |
Wellness Healthy Indulgence provides a simple-to-serve kidney-friendly wet food made with real morsels of chicken and chicken liver. Not all cats love the texture of morsels, so keep that in mind before buying these for your pet.
Though real protein is not the first ingredient, these pouches still provide a hefty dose of nutrition. They’re made with antioxidant-rich cranberries to promote a healthy bladder, and the inclusion of broth in the ingredients ensures your kitty with CKD keeps its hydration levels up.
This formula is made without artificial colors or flavors and is gluten- and grain-free, which is excellent for pets with food sensitivities. The phosphorus level in this food is 0.55%.
- Easy to serve
- Single-serve portions
- No artificial ingredients or flavoring
- Promotes urinary health
- Boosts hydration levels
- Protein is not the first ingredient
- Not all cats like morsels
6. Weruva Truluxe Steak Frites Dinner
| Main ingredients: | Beef broth, beef, pumpkin, sweet potato, potato starch, carrot |
| Protein content: | 10.00% |
| Fat content: | 1.30% |
| Calories: | 62 cal/can |
Weruva Truluxe’s Steak Frites Dinner is a fantastic limited-ingredient formula low in phosphorus and free of any artificial coloring or preservatives. It provides 100% complete and balanced nutrition for adult maintenance and features added vitamins and minerals to support your cat’s health. This formula features a blend of vitamins and minerals to support vision and heart health.
This recipe has grass-fed beef and pumpkin as the main ingredients to provide a hefty dose of healthy protein and fiber. Its broth-based gravy is enticing and may promote a healthier appetite in your CKD kitty. Finicky cats may not like the shredded texture. The phosphorus level in this food is 0.57%.
- Boosts hydration intake
- Grass-fed beef
- Boosts heart and vision health
- Limited ingredient formula
- Shredded texture may not appeal to all cats
- See Also: Weruva Patés Cat Food Review
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Foods for Kidney Disease
Finding non-prescription kidney-friendly cat foods in Canada can be challenging, especially if you prefer to shop online. While the nine options above are all great choices, you might still feel overwhelmed trying to choose which will be best for your pet.
Keep reading to find all the things you must consider when shopping for the best cat foods for kidney disease.
Availability
One of the biggest frustrations for cat owners in Canada is how difficult it can be to find specific food formulas online. Retailers like Chewy and Amazon.com for American pet owners sell prescription food formulas but the same is not true for the Canadian version of Amazon. It is very rare to find any prescription or diet-specific foods on Amazon Canada, and when they become available, they’re at a highly inflated price.
The foods we reviewed above are available on Amazon Canada at the time of writing, though some of them come with a higher price tag than expected.
Phosphorus Level
Phosphorus is a mineral that you will need to pay close attention to once your cat has been diagnosed with CKD. Keeping phosphorus levels under control can not only slow the progression of the disease, but it can also reduce the likelihood of your kitty developing serious problems and even make them feel better.
Phosphorus is an essential mineral that is necessary for your cat’s good health. Its body is typically very good at regulating phosphorus levels by removing any excess through the kidneys. Cats with CKD, however, are unable to remove excess phosphorus efficiently and may develop levels in their blood that are too high.
- Inappetence
- Itching
- Incoordination
- Teeth grinding
- Weight loss
- Weakness
- Nausea
- Trembling
The ideal phosphorus level is below 0.50% on a dry matter analysis basis. Therapeutic (prescription) foods are the only complete foods that meet this criterion. Some cats will simply turn their noses up at therapeutic foods, so if this is the case with your kitty, you’ll want to choose a food with the lowest possible phosphorus level.
Protein Level
VCA Canada suggests that decreasing the amount of dietary protein your cat takes in can slow the progression of CKD by reducing the workload on the kidneys. A reduced protein intake also means your cat won’t excrete as much protein through the kidneys, which can help preserve kidney function.
The key is finding the perfect amount of protein. Too much can increase the number of toxins in your cat’s bloodstream, but too little can cause muscle mass loss. Foods too high in protein are also likely to be too high in phosphorus, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Focus on providing the highest quality protein possible so your cat will get the most value from its meals with the least damaging effect on the kidneys.
Wet vs Dry
Most vets will recommend a diet of canned food for cats with CKD as it contains much more water than kibble. Since dehydration is a big concern for cats with CKD, your kitty must get enough water in a day. The downfall of high water content is that canned foods are typically less calorically dense than their dry counterparts.
If your kitty is having a hard time maintaining its weight on a wet food diet, a vet may suggest you switch to dry. If you choose to feed a kibble diet you need to ensure your cat is taking in more food than it would on canned food and that you are willing to potentially start subcutaneous fluid administration to compensate for water loss.
Every cat owner can attest to the finickiness of the species. If your kitty dislikes canned food, the dry food options listed above are great jumping-off points. Don’t try to force a wet food diet on a dry food addict. It is more important that your cat eats something of nutritional value than wet food.
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Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are a compound that is vital to your cat’s overall health. Research in rats and humans suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may help slow the progression of kidney disease.
Studies suggest that dietary intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may decrease inflammation in cats with CKD and may even protect against malnutrition.
Our Cat Foods for Kidney Disease in Canada Selection Process
Catster’s dedicated team of writers and editors collaborate with expert veterinarians, considering a wide range of factors when selecting the best foods for cats. These parameters include customer reviews, brand reputation, veterinary experience, and in some cases, hands-on testing. Of course, our cats have a say in the process, too! We strive to select and review the highest-quality products available, to help you choose the best possible product and make the most informed decision for your and your cat’s needs.
Why Trust Catster?
Catster has been a trusted online brand since 2001, so we know a thing or two about cat foods. We’re a team of cat-loving writers, editors, and veterinarians dedicated to helping you make the most informed decision for your feline. We deeply believe in providing the best information for cat owners to help their cats live their best life possible. We look at reviews from the most trusted sources available, and this, combined with our veterinary team’s experience and expertise, helps us gather the best options on the market. Our team is invested in the welfare and health of cats around the world, and believe that expert knowledge is one of the best ways to achieve this.
Conclusion
The best overall cat food for kidney disease is Purina Pro Plan’s NF Kidney Function for its low phosphorus level and high nutritional value. The best value option is Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew for its high level of amino acids and controlled levels of phosphorus and sodium. The premium option is Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care as it can stimulate your cat’s appetite and boost heart health. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Senior Vitality promotes bladder and kidney health and is easy to find online and in stores.
A kidney disease diagnosis doesn’t have to feel like a death sentence for your pet. With proper nutrition and support from your vet, your kitty can still live a long and healthy life.
Featured Image Credit: Nils Jacobi, Shutterstock
